Technoframes “Blaze” Pistol Case

I learned a lot about Europe’s firearms market while at IWA and touring various factories. One of the most important things I learned was that quality sells in Europe – and a lack of quality doesn’t. When I asked, for example, why a certain US-market rifle was not on display at IWA, I was bluntly told that it was “too low quality to sell in Europe.”

So when I was told that we’d scheduled a video with a company that made gun cases, I thought to myself, “Really? Gun cases? There are more exciting things at IWA than plastic boxes with foam inside.” What I didn’t understand was that these were European gun cases, and that they were definitely high quality enough to sell in Europe.

Technoframes Blaze

The Blaze is multipurpose and manufactured with top quality materials in a first class manufacturing nation by a company that makes precision medical equipment. All of these things are great selling points, but will they, at approximately $250, be too expensive to sell in the United States?

Andrew Tuohy was a Navy Corpsman with the 5th Marine Regiment. He makes a living by producing written and visual content within the firearm industry, and he also teaches carbine courses. He prefers elegant weapons for a more civilized age, and regularly posts at Vuurwapen Blog.

Advertisement

Nigel Cupcake

For the final case, even though I’m pretty sure the (pellet?) pistol is unloaded/deactivated, the girl sweeping the muzzle all over the place with finger on trigger made me a tad bit nervous somehow.

Dave D

Someone has to ask, can you elaborate on the origin of said “too low quality” rifle?

Nathaniel

Why in Europe of all places would they think that combining a display case and a carry case would be a good idea?

But, that 007 case is sexy.

M@

***When I asked, for example, why a certain US-market rifle was not on display at IWA, I was bluntly told that it was “too low quality to sell in Europe.”***

Which US-Market Rifle was not on display?

JMD

That’s neat.

Jack

“safe” looked like a camlock to me, not something I would trust with a gun!

Joe Hooker

Said low quality US rifle was probably the ar-15

Hogan

I’m with Dave D, what company isn’t up to the standard of Fiat and MG?

Mike

My theory is:

In the USA, guns, hunting, gun activism, etc., are largely a grass-roots, bottoms up phenomenon, a byproduct of our new world/frontier society, where guns were at one time a necessity for survival. So functional stuff is accepted, it doesn’t have to be high end, though of course there’s plenty of that too, and price plays a big role for many people.

In Europe it’s the opposite — guns were historically the province of the upper class, aristocracy, etc. — you wouldn’t want the peasants to be armed and rise against you. I think that means that in Europe, not being a mass market item, guns are more of a prestige/luxury market, and therefore the quality baseline for products must generally be higher end to be acceptable to the market there.

Of course these are broad generalities but I think I’m right that the centers of gravity of the US and European gun markets are different, and the products thus reflect that.

2:47 She should keep her finger off the trigger, especially while the firearm is pointed at someone else. Showcase, and show gun or not.

Pliskin

Someone needs to teach that lady gun safety. However those cases are awesome. I’m sure they would sell in the states. If I had any handguns sexy or cool enough to display I’d probably buy one but I don’t. My gun collection is slowly starting to grow though and at some point i’m certian I’d like one of those 007 cases instead of a case of ammo. They’re not for everybody but if you bring them to America they will sell no doubt.

subase

Might be making stuff up but the Europeans seem to perceive guns as luxury status items, while in the U.S firearms especially pistols are seen as more lower class than anything.

j

what are those bullets behind him?
are they even real?

Pietro

I think Mike is pretty right, at least looking at Italy. Other than his point, I add that IMHO some italian gunsmiths (or car makers) try to look like carrying the heritage and tradition of thousands of years of weapon making.
Sometimes this leads to great quality products, other times is the reason for features that are more about image than quality. Both the previous characteristics are a good excuse when trying to place your product in the high end of the market (there is no low end, anyway, also cause of laes and taxes).
Anyway I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a transparent carry bag. Sounds like a “steal my gun please” to me.

That being said, I still wouldn’t mind one of these for my more prized pistols, but then I would still store them in my safe.

SquidWithAGun

Was this guy’s name Serge?

Griffin

I’m with Mike. In my experience working and living in Europe guns are so difficult to purchase and so expensive in all forms that they are typically only pursued by the upper class or the very enthusiastic middle class (such as it exists in Europe).

Owning a firearm was definitely a huge status symbol in both England and Amsterdam. If you were the kind of person to own one you would also be the kind of person to display it.

Personally, I think both cases are pretty damn cool. Not something I’d want for “safe” purposes but cool things to have for taking to the range or putting them on display while I’m at home. I’d look at that lock as being more of a child safety feature than anything else.

Of course, IMO, if you’re paying that much for the case it better be a damn nice pistol you’re putting in it.

Now, if they had something similar for over-under’s I’d be all over it.

Ed

Warning, gross stereotyping to follow:

Broadly speaking, I think each individual hand gun purchase in Europe is a pain in the ass. Once you have the first one, the path of least resistance is to spend money to maximize it, i.e., $250 for a cool case. Here, your decision is $250 for a case, or a new .22 rifle, or low end shotgun, or half payment for a M&P or Glock, and you go that route, as you can “always get the case later.”

Lew

@Joe Hooker:
Oberland makes a very nice AR-15 over here so that’s not the problem. We’re just a bit anal about fit, finish and quality. We’re also willing to pay the premium for quality (and with the export restrictions and levys that the US slap on all firearms I bet you that an entry level US el cheapo will cost as much as an HK).

Calimero

Not sure about the “guns are for the Royalty” thing, but you have to keep in mind that guns in Europe a pretty expensive (especially in France, where I live …) because of all the paperwork usually involved – both for the buyer and the manufacturer/importer – and because we only have quite a narrow market compared to the US domestic market.

In France for example, because of the law there a two main groups of non-LE firearms owners:
– 1.5 million hunters who use anything from cheap and yet robust eastern (Turkish, Russian) shotguns up to high end superexpensive custom made shotguns (you’ll guess that the more expensive the gun, the less it is actually used …)
– 140 000 target shooters (including 40 000 target shooters who own handguns, and “restricted weapons” like AR-15, AKs, SIGs 55x, …)

In France, weapons are a matter of enthusiasts. Especially restricted firearms because of the lengthy process you need to go through every time you want to buy a restricted firearm: you probably don’t want to go through the whole process to buy some junk gun.

On the other hands keep in mind that “higher quality” (read “more expensive”) guns usually offer higher profit margins for the importer and retailer … Hence importing “higher quality guns” isn’t only justified by the supposedly higher expectations of European gun owners …

We nonetheless have a good second hand market, especially as licences for “defensive handguns” (mostly revolvers) are progressively revoked (civil disarmament on its way). You can get some nice S&W or Colt revolvers from 10-20 years ago – that probably haven’t shot any round except for the proof rounds shot when they arrived in France – at the fraction of the cost of a new one.

andrew

Jack – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a camlock.

Dave, Hogan – the rifle was the Sig 556.

Kyle

A safe? I’m pretty sure a safe is supposed to be something that a criminal can’t just steal and drill open at a later date. if it locked down to a wall mount or something, I could understand

andrew

Kyle, the small bar-looking thing is a wall mount that the case can be locked to.

Obviously, this is not a 2-ton safe with 12 2″ deadbolts, but it’s not something that could be easily defeated by the average scumbag, either.

andrew

Joe Hooker – There were plenty of AR-15s at IWA.

marko

I think it could be a useful way to safely store a pistol on your wall in your den without having to buy steel doors and lexan windows. 🙂 $250 seems a bit pricey, I don’t think the American market cares about the hissing gas-filled hinges. We want something that takes 10 minutes to rip off of a wall.

Kyle

I dunno, Andrew. if the person were to leave it unlocked off the small bar, the lock on the bottom could easily be drilled out.

Squidpuppy

Yes, nice, but I don’t want to be walking around carrying a case advertising what’s inside of it, especially if it’s a gun. Folks are jittery enough, anyone want to guess how often you’ll get the cops called on you for sauntering around with one of these and a frightening piece of hardware in such plain view? No thanks.

Now, if they came with removable concealment panels or blinds, different story. I guess for those who have small collections, don’t move them around a lot, and don’t keep them in actual safes, these are pretty cool. They’re ammo cases are also beautiful, but the point eludes me.

Perhaps if one lived in some swank, ultra modern, euro-condo in a megastructure in Berlin, this would be just the thing. But when I take my shooting irons out and about, I want them in as unrecognizable a carrier as possible; if folks think I’m toting about a drill set or a guitar, I’m happy.

Harald Hansen

In most European jurisdictions, firearms are a hassle to aquire. There’s at least a ton of paperwork, and some countries limit you to so-and-so number of firearms and such. It follows that most firearms purchases are carefully considered. For the US readers; if you could i.e. own just *one* .223 rifle, wouldn’t you consider getting a high-quality one?

Aurelien

Allow me to present you with a fact :

Guns are not aristocratic or anything in Europe. In France, most of the old generation got weapons that were beaten war leftovers. Most of the people owning rifle are actually your average hunter living on minimum wages.

Of course there are “aristocratic” weapons around, like 5000€ hunting rifles. Brits have been known to build expensive hunting rifles.

BUT the fact is, getting to own a rifle or a pistol is pretty hard here in Europe.
So, when you can get a pistol, or a rifle, you will get to something that will stand the test of time. Something that has been built around quality components.

And or the other hand, with a very limited civilian market (except for hunting rifles), European manufacturers mainly work for the military market. So most manufacturers are big conglomerates making military-grade weaponry, and it then trickles down to the civilian market.

But then again, as a result, in Europe guns are pretty expensive (except russian-made rifles).

Russell

Here in America we can easily attain more than one pistol so there is no need to enshrine a single pistol in a sarcophagus, although this product would be required if I owned a golden cartel gun. I’d rather use the money for ammo.

Bryan S

Checked these out at the NRA show. Very nice fit and finish. The pistol sitting on the magnetic stand is very cool, although a bit of a pain to get in and out of the care.

Sam Suggs

gold plating can be used tastefully. in my opinion the gun is this video is not an example of this however to each his own

Sam Suggs

I find the term cartel gun to be steotypical and rather counterintutive to our cuase